This invention relates to a preassembled refrigerant subcooling unit adapted to be universally installable into existing air conditioning and refrigeration systems, and having the capability to increase the efficiency thereof, resulting in a reduction of operating time, and to improvements in such subcooling units.
This invention is an improvement over my U.S. Pat. No. 3,177,929 entitled "Refrigeration Subcooling Unit" that teaches a preassembled refrigerant subcooling unit with a primary object of increasing the cooling capacity of an existing refrigerating unit. During the period subsequent to the issuance of this patent, the United States has experienced severe shortages of energy with subsequent significant increases in costs of electrical power. My prior invention, as may be recognized by those skilled in the art, can reduce the operating costs of a refrigeration system into which it is installed when the system is operated at its original design capacity. Therefore, my earlier invention is advantageous and applicable for systems having adequate cooling capacity for the purpose of saving energy, as well as for its original purpose.
My original subcooling unit, while eminently suited and economical for its primary purpose, has several disadvantages for installation in small air conditioning systems of the home type. For example, it is most desirable to mount a subcooling unit for a building air conditioner adjacent to the condensing unit. For air-cooled condensing units, the usual mounting is outside of the building, allowing the heat to be rejected to the outside atmosphere. The design and bulk of my original unit makes an outside mounting difficult. Also, the high ambient air temperatures encountered in summer weather can reduce the degree of subcooling possible with my prior design. Another problem is that the preferred embodiment of my prior invention causes the water flow utilized for subcooling to be controlled by the refrigerant pressure as the compressor of the system is cycled, and in many cases, more water flow than is necessary will occur and possible savings will be reduced by such wastage.
In the present invention, I have disclosed newly-discovered means for overcoming the problems inherent in my earlier invention when it is desired to use a subcooling unit for reducing the energy used for cooling purposes, and in particular for small, home-type air conditioners that have the condensing unit mounted outside a building.